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Randy
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September 20, 2012
Tragically, on September 11th in Benghazi, Libya, the United States Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans were murdered. This was the first U.S. Ambassador who had been murdered since 1979. ( ) Tether foreign aid to pro-democracy, religious freedoms and human rights benchmarks ( ) Reduce or eliminate foreign aid ( ) Sever diplomatic ties and/or remove embassy staffs ( ) Bolster embassy security with elite Marine units ( ) Continue engagement with these foreign governments to combat terrorism and promote democracy. Take the poll here.
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Randy
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August 17, 2012
Reuters reported this week that the White House was considering releasing oil from the United States’ Strategic Petroleum Reserve if gasoline prices do not fall after September 3rd. in order to provide some relief at the gas pump just two months before the November 6th election.
Oil prices have risen sharply in recent weeks, rising 30 cents to $3.71 per gallon, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the Department of Energy’s emergency fuel storage of oil, along the U.S. Gulf coast, with a capacity of 727 million barrels of oil. According to Bloomberg Business Week, the reserve “currently has 696 million barrels of crude, the equivalent of 80 days worth of oil imports.” The Department of Energy (DOE) states on its website, “The Strategic Petroleum Reserve exists, first and foremost, as an emergency response tool the President can use should the United States be confronted with an economically-threatening disruption in oil supplies.” According to the DOE, a Presidentially-directed release has occurred three times under these conditions. First, in 1991, at the beginning of Operation Desert Storm, the United States joined its allies in assuring the adequacy of global oil supplies when war broke out in the Persian Gulf. The second was in September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the oil production, distribution, and refining industries in the Gulf regions of Louisiana and Mississippi. The third was announced on June 23, 2011 for 30 million barrels of petroleum to be released to offset the disruption in global oil supplies caused by unrest in Libya and other countries. A 2011 Congressional Research Service report noted that while the reserve has traditionally been tied to a shortage of oil supplies, “price was deliberately kept out of the president’s . . . drawdown authority because of concerns about what price level would trigger a drawdown, and that any hint of a price threshold could influence private sector and industry inventory practices.” Question of the week: Do you support tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to attempt to temporarily alleviate gas prices at the pump? ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) Other (share your thoughts on my blog here). Take the poll here. Find out the results of last week's instapoll here.
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Randy
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March 07, 2012
This week, President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss concerns and difference regarding Iran's suspected nuclear program. USA Today reports that “there seemed to be stark differences between the two leaders on just how dire the situation is. Obama repeated that he believes there is 'still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to this issue' and noted again the 'crippling sanctions' his administration and Europe have imposed on Iran.” Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned that the time for a diplomatic solution is running out. He told President Obama “I think that above and beyond that are two principles, long-standing principles of American policy … that Israel must have the ability always to defend itself, by itself, against any threat; and that when it comes to Israel's security, Israel has the right, the sovereign right to make its own decisions.” Since that point, questions have been raised about U.S. policy towards Iran and whether military action against Iran is necessary. ( ) The U.S. should act using all available options to stop Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here.
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Randy
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March 01, 2012
This week, we in America who enjoy the fundamental human right of religious freedom have the opportunity to stand in unity for Iranian Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. The House of Representatives passed today, with my support, H.Res.556, a resolution introduced by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) condemning the Government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of Mr. Nadarkhani for refusing to recant his Christian faith. Last night, I spoke on the House floor on this important resolution. You can watch my remarks by clicking here or by clicking the video below.
As Members of Congress come together on the House floor this week in support of this Resolution, I encourage Americans of all faiths and political persuasions across the country to join in prayer at the same time for Mr. Nadarkhani.
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Randy
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December 09, 2011
I want to share with you details on legislations I have recently cosponsored to strengthen U.S. commitment to Israel. Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act, H.R. 1006 This legislation states that it is U.S. policy to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel and that the U.S. Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem not later than January 1, 2013. The bill also authorizes the necessary funds to acquire and maintain the buildings necessary to carry out this task.
Palestinian Accountability Act, H.R. 2457 This legislation would halt open-ended commitment to Palestinians by prohibiting U.S. aid and preventing any U.S. government document from referring to any region under the Palestinian Authority (PA) control until the PA meets a number of standards:
This bill would also prohibit U.S. contributions to the United Nations (UN) if the UN or any UN entity recognizes statehood for the Palestinian territories.
At such a time of increasing regional instability, I believe it is critical that the U.S. make clear our long-standing commitment to Israel.
Share your feedback on these bills by leaving a comment below.
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Randy
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November 16, 2011
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu among escalating tensions in the region. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, I believe it is essential that the U.S. express its support for Israel’s right to protect itself from external threats. Our visit to Israel visit coincided with the release of the IAEA's report confirming that Iran's nuclear program has an explicit military dimension with the purpose of producing warheads that fit onto medium-range missiles, threatening Israel's very existence.
At such a time of increasing regional instability, it is critical that the U.S. make clear our long-standing security and financial commitments to Israel. Over the past year, I have taken several actions to express my steadfast support of the steps Israel has taken to ensure the peace and security of its homeland, including joining 78 of my colleagues in expressing our support to Prime Minister Netanyahu and submitting remarks to the Congressional Record.
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Randy
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November 09, 2011
As Egypt moves to establish a foundation of democracy, there have been increased outbreaks of violence directed towards Coptic Christians, the largest denomination of Christians in Egypt who make up about 10% of the country’s population. Reuters reports that "Tension between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians has simmered for years but has worsened since the anti-Mubarak revolt, which gave freer rein to Salafist and other strict Islamist groups that the former president had repressed."
Early in October, Coptic Christians in Egypt began a peaceful protest of the interim military government's failure to protect them from attacks on their churches. Violence ensued after Christians were attacked by civilians. The military further provoked the situation by plowing personnel carriers through the crowds, crushing protestors while soldiers fired on unarmed citizens. 26 people were killed, and hundreds of others injured in the violent attacks. Currently, the United States gives Egypt $1.3 billion in military aid annually and engages with the Egyptian military in training exercises. Egypt is at a turning point, and it is crucial that the United States make clear that we will not stand for this type of violence. Individuals should have the universal right of peaceful protect and religious freedom and religious tolerance must be a part of the foundation for democracy in Egypt. I believe it is unacceptable to continue to provide military aid to a country that disregards basic human rights and religious freedom. Just last week, I became an original cosponsor of a resolution, H.Res. 459, that would encourage any new government convened in Egypt to fully allow for the freedom of religion. You can read about that resolution here. Additionally, I joined with 22 of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to denounce the violence used by the Egyptian military against Coptic Christians in October and urging him that U.S. military aid to Egypt be dependent on an objective investigation into these instances of violence. You can read that letter here. During this critical time of Egypt’s transition from President Mubarak’s tenure to a new government, those in charge must stand up and protect religious freedom and human rights.
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Randy
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September 21, 2011
This week, the Palestinian Authority is expected to pursue a bid before the United Nations for Palestinian statehood in accordance with the borders that were in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has stated that it cannot go back to the 1967 lines, because these lines would undermine Israel’s security and do not take into account demographic changes that have taken place over the last 44 years.
The United States has expressed concern that a unilateral declaration of Palestinian independence and interference by the United Nations will undermine the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, further destabilizing the region. To urge the continuation of direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine and ensure the security of Israel, I support H.R. 2829, the United Nations Transparency, Accountability and Reform Act, which would restrict U.S. funding to the United Nations in the event Palestine is formally recognized as a state and the peace process is jeopardized. In addition, the bill also ensures that the American people know where and how their taxpayer dollars are being spent by creating an office of a U.S. Inspector General to monitor U.S. contributions to the United Nations in order to ensure that money is not being wasted or spent contrary to U.S. interests. I want to know what you think - should the United States restrict funding to the United Nations in the event it interferes with direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks?
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Randy
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August 04, 2011
Japan’s most recent Annual Defense Report expresses the nation’s concerns with China’s rising naval power. The Japanese White Paper focused on China’s assertiveness and widening naval capability, and it specifically expressed concerns over the “opaqueness” of Beijing's military budget.
The report states: Opaqueness in its defense policies and military movements are concerns for the region, including Japan, and for the international community, and we need to carefully analyze them. Considering the recent modernization of China’s maritime and air forces, the areas affected by the capabilities will likely expand beyond its nearby waters. On the military front, China has been modernizing its military forces, backed by the high and constant increase in defense budget. China appears to give particular priority to the Taiwan issue as a core issue of national sovereignty, and for the time being it will probably aim for the improvement of military capabilities to prevent Taiwan’s independence in its military modernization, but in recent years, China has begun work on acquiring capabilities for missions other than the Taiwan issue. The English translation of Japan’s Annual Defense Report can be found here.
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Randy
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June 28, 2011
Each day, our nation borrows $4 billion, or 42% of each dollar we spend. And each day, our nation pays communist China $73.9 million in interest alone on our debt.
Despite this fact, the Administration has allowed the United States to be on the hook for the bailouts of Greece and other European nations. This bailout money is dispensed through the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of which the United States is the leading funder, contributing over 17% of its funds. In 2009, the Democratic Congress approved the Obama Administration’s request to increase U.S. funding to the IMF by $108 billion. I believe this is wrong. Taxpayers should not be responsible for the fiscal rescue of foreign governments, especially when our own federal government faces a crushing debt and has yet to seriously address our own economic difficulties. We need to focus on getting our own spending under control by passing a balanced budget amendment, not committing to the bailout of other nations. I have cosponsored a bill to stop U.S. participation in these costly bailouts of Greece and other European nations. H.R. 2313 would rescind the $108 billion authorization, return any unobligated money to the U.S. General Fund, and specify that the money be used for deficit reduction. You can read the text of the bill here. I want to know what you think – do you think taxpayers should be on the hook for the bailout of European nations? Do you think H.R. 2313 is a step in the right direction to stop these taxpayer-funded bailouts? |
SEARCH BLOGRECENT POSTS11/08/2012 - This Veterans Day - E-mail me your Veteran’s picture and/or Anecdote11/02/2012 - A Memo on Jobs in Virginia's Fourth District 10/27/2012 - Hurricane Sandy Resources 10/23/2012 - What do you believe are the most serious negative impacts of having a Navy that is at its smallest size since 1917? 10/19/2012 - A Game Changer for Virginia 10/12/2012 - Question of the Week: Do you support the administration using taxpayer dollars to re-imburse legal fees to defense companies for failure to comply with the WARN Act? ARCHIVESBy YearBy Issue
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